Cr Bill Faulkner Faulkners Corner www.sunlive.co.nz

Following up on the consultants' cost of the reorganisation of city hall staff structures and the CCO review, I met with CEO Leigh Auton and Mayor Stuart Crosby with the purpose of the CEO explaining the detail (or lack of it) on the invoices.

Morrison Low, consultants on the structure, was paid $155,263 (excl GST) for the organisational review and $145,036 for the CCO review. Included in this was $12,512.16 of expenses variously listed as accommodation, mileage, taxis, flights, sustenance – but with few details and no accompanying vouchers. The CEO explained that it was his normal practise to pay such invoices along with the invoice for professional fees, again, with few details such as hours charged and charge out rate.

My concerns revolve around transparency and accountability. Elected members are (quite rightly) subject to extreme scrutiny from staff, audit and the media – and I see no reason why this same scrutiny shouldn't be applied across the organisation. But it is the CEO's call and I have no input (by legislation) into how he conducts the operation.

Likewise, with GHD, consultants on human resource structure. They were paid $211,149 excl GST of which $14, 859.92 was for travel, accommodation, mileage. Again, few details were given and no accompanying vouchers. It seems the going rate for the principal consultant is around $250 per hour. Another consultancy HR²Go have billed $102,733.34 for services relating to recruitment for senior positions (four general managers). Again, I emphasise that all this is under the sole control of the CEO. Elected members have no input (by legislation), and had I not requested the invoices, I would never have come to know.

In the course of the discussion I asked the cost of the CEO appointment process and was told it was over $100,000 also. The CEO told me that the city would receive great value from all this expense and the future was very exciting. I certainly hope that this is correct. Leigh Auton finishes as CEO Friday, April 12 and Garry Poole starts as new CEO on Monday, April 15. It is Garry who will inherit all this expense, advice and structure – although he has been involved in the appointment process for the four general managers.

This example highlights how the Local Government Act has rendered politicians powerless. By passing all control to one person (the chief executive) in my view it significantly reduces detailed, political background knowledge of what is really going on and what the real costs are. Chief executives needed some protection from politicians in the past but there needs to be a balance (by legislation) for politicians to have high level input into operations. When I was first elected, one councillor was delegated each month to go through that month's voucher payments. It was a time-consuming task, not enjoyed by many councillors but it kept you up to date on costs and was a check on how expenditure was conducted. But all this stopped under the so-called Local Government 'reforms”.

At Projects and Monitoring, the design for the never ending Pilot Bay boardwalk saga was decided. A good crowd was in the chamber to listen to speakers and subsequent debate. The Mounties are a passionate group and elected members heard ideas and advice in the public speaking forum. The decision is that the boardwalk will stay behind the trees where possible from Salisbury Avenue, come out around the toilets and meander on down to the boat ramp. The existing waka gear storage shed will go and be replaced with a narrow shed at right angles to the road and be relocated near to where the waka are stored.

Construction of the walkway/cycleway along the Papamoa stormwater reserve will continue albeit with some design and route alterations. A petition objecting to the construction turned out to be more an objection to where the path went rather than the fact it was there, so the petitioners told elected members.

A larger than life public art project by local (extremely talented) public artist Owen Dippie will proceed on a vote 10-1 with Catherine Stewart not supporting. Committee members were promised that there would be no extra ratepayer funding required. Owen did the Goldie replica on the wall of Bronco's Sports in Masonic Park downtown. The plan is for 15 murals around town. Council will contribute the cost of what a standard paint job would be on council-owned buildings and other organisations will raise the rest. Owen's work is sensational and this initiative will give yet another lift to the CBD.

It's back to the drawing board with Tsunami sirens. Elected members were told – to cut a long story short – that it would not be possible to provide the required sound over the required distance at anywhere near the estimated cost. This council will push for a national standard so that everyone around NZ, not only those living on the coast, will recognise a tsunami siren. Sirens have limitations and are only part of a warning system. This exercise has cost ratepayers around $850,000 over three years according to staff. See my earlier comments about expenditure controls.

Contrary to a report in the Bay Times I was not 'offended” by a comment from Catherine Stewart and I did not say I was. Someone else did say the comment was offensive. Catherine, speaking during the boardwalk debate accused unnamed elected members of having a 'secret squirrel” meeting. Mayor Stuart Crosby called a point of order which, as chairman, I am required to rule on. Stuart said there had been no secret meetings. As Catherine couldn't substantiate her accusation the point of order was upheld. Upon a ruling, it is protocol that the comment be withdrawn which Catherine eventually did after spirited encouragement from some councillors. It may appear a trivial point but the Bay Times should get its facts right – after all they can go online and listen to the recorded debate to check.

Wayne Moultrie raised the issue of commercial 'boot camp” exercise routines being conducted on the cenotaph at the Mount at 6.30am. A complainant, who rang Wayne, had been told by the commercial 'boot camp operator” to 'go away” when the complainant remonstrated with him. This was an inappropriate use of the cenotaph and staff will take action to ensure that this use of the cenotaph ceases. These 'boot camps” are run commercially and also cause some consternation to neighbours at that hour in the morning.

This week's mindbender. The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill with world with fools – Herbert Spencer, English philosopher died 1903.